In Issue 39, we saw Dr. Burkhart was rescued once again, and we received a few more glimpses that Cobra has something cooking in New Orleans or somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico. Feel free to check out the review of Issue 39 in case you missed it. (You can catch up on other "Now You Know With YorktownJoe" reviews there as well.)

On to the issue

Roadblock was hiding in the background on the cover of Issue 39. He is all alone in all his glory on the cover of Issue 40.

We join the action as the Joes are working on a new Transportable Tactical Battle Platform. They are going to try and transport it with winch hooks from 2 Dragonfly helicopters. Later on, the Joes will add other helicopters which are more suited for transport. But the Joes make due with what they have available.

Shipwreck is introduced, and he is far more salty and serious as a comic book sailor than the goofy cartoon comedian brought to us by Sunbow. He wants the Joes to work hard and get the Battle Platform in place.

Nearby, Cobra Commander and others are plotting in a submarine. Tomax and Xamot are with Cobra Commander and the mysterious Crimson Guardsman who we believe to be Candy/Bongo the Balloon Bear's father. He is a scientist of sorts and is helping with the plan in the submarine. They are tooling around in the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans.

The Dragonflies are bringing the Tactical Battle Platform to an inflatable square in the Gulf. The plan is to lower the platform onto to flotation collar and then secure it to "legs" of an abandoned underwater oil rig.

Back at Joe HQ, Hawk continues to question Candy as to how she could be living with an active Cobra agent and not know. I'm not sure how the comic timeline works, but the other Joes seem to have undergone a massive operation in the Gulf, and Hawk is still talking to Candy. You'd think she would have to see a lawyer, or go to the restroom. Or maybe find a friend to stay with, since Tomax and Xamot and the Joe team combined to destroy her home. (Back in Issue 38).

The Cobra submarine enters a sunken freighter. It is a large ship with a giant gash/hole in it. The opening is big enough for the submarine to float inside. So it is really big.

After they surface, they realize it is large, open and there is an area to dock the submarine. There is even air. Cobra Commander get to meet some new troops. These are the Hydrofoil pilots. On the Hasbro toy side, the Cobra Hydrofoil is the Moray. The pilots are known as Lampreys. It always seems to be plural, even if there is only one. But here, there are three.

Back at the air-sea base, Shipwreck is berating the other Joes for being lazy. Oh, the irony. I'm holding back my tears of laughter. Comic Shipwreck is a bit mean. But cartoon Shipwreck is corny and is often trying to get out of doing things. Once again, Larry Hama created comic Shipwreck and wrote the filecards. Sunbow produced the cartoon, and took liberties with the character development. But comic Shipwreck and cartoon Shipwreck could not be further divergent as characters.

While Candy is talking with Duke and others, Buzzer the Dreadnok runs free from Mutt while handcuffed. He poked his head in and teases Candy, but then is shuffled back along to holding.

Shortly thereafter, some MP's (Military Police) arrive to escort Candy and Buzzer to another location. Buzzer teases Candy some more and she reacts poorly to his rude behavior. The non-driving MP tells her to calm down, and right as he does this, Buzzer reaches his handcuffed wrists over the drivers heads and chokes him. The driver brakes hard and the other MP loses his balance and flies through the front window. (Windows don't actually work that way, but this helped the story along.) Buzzer finishes choking the driver, and two MP's are dead.

I really have no idea how big this sunken freighter is. Cobra is down there with air. And big screen monitors. REALLY big screens. That is something the comics and the cartoon DID have in common. Cobra is all about those big screens.

But here Cobra uses some type of sound technology to kill the fish, dolphins and other aquatic life in the Gulf. Some of the Joes begin to deploy from the Tactical Battle Platform onto the WHALE hovercraft. It appears Snake-Eyes boards the WHALE. (But he might be recalled momentarily. Just keep an eye on that ninja. He seems to be everywhere.)

While the Hovercraft crew takes off to find out what is killing the fish, some crates have floated up from the sunken freighter. Inside are Cobra Hydrofoils!!

The hydrofoils attack the TBP (Tactical Battle Platform). Wait, now Snake-Eyes is there returning fire on the hydrofoils!! That is one fast commando! (Or they asked him to stay between panels and we never saw him jumping back.)

Deep Six is exploring the area underwater where an underwater bunker with an electronic dish is transmitting. The transmissions are killing all the fish in the area.

The hydrofoils continue to work over the TBP and they are out of missiles and most of their armaments. Barbecue, the Joe's firefighter uses a winch hook and catches one of the hydrofoils and brings it in like a tether ball.

I'm not sure how time works in the comic world, but the sound waves that are killing the fish and aquatic life in the Gulf has resulted in a few attempts to destroy the bunker underwater. Since these were of no avail, the joint chiefs and the President immediately decide to use a nuclear weapon to stop the threat to the fish.

Just a moment. Doesn't there have to be Congressional action on something like that? Also, I'm no scientist. But I'm pretty sure detonating a radioactive nuclear device in the water will be MUCH BETTER for the fish. Said no one ever.

Ace is concerned about dropping a nuclear weapon, as well he should be. It is rather a somber thing, and should only be used if no other options are available. Quite literally it should be the last resort.

Duke and Doc are discussing the grim possibility of nuclear weapons on the TBP. Whoah! Wasn't Duke back at Joe HQ? He must have flown in when I wasn't paying attention. Or maybe a couple days passed over here while only hours passe elsewhere. Or it was Hawk back at the PIT, and Duke down in the Gulf. I need to go back and re-read this again.

Shipwreck jumps off the TBP and smashes a Hydrofoil pilot in the face. You'd think they would have a crew to prevent that type of thing. This should be a reason to cheer. Now the Joes can get in the Hydrofoil and speed away from the blast zone!!

Meanwhile Doc (a medic with rank of Captain) talks Duke (a First Sergeant) into countermanding the joint chiefs decision to deploy nuclear weapons by convincing everyone that conventional bombs should be able to do the job.

The Admiral agrees and orders the use of only conventional bombs. Cooler heads have prevailed.

Tripwire marks the target with a flare, so the Skystrikers can target their bomb run. The pilot Ace gives his least helpful comment of the day: "Everybody see the target?" Well, it's day time AND there is a phosphorous flare, so NO. We don't see the target. C'mon man!!

The Joes are sorting out a few Cobra prisoners when the bombs go off. It is a big explosion. A REALLY big one. But at least it wasn't a nuke. So no radiation. And maybe the rest of the fish will recover.

As there is a massive explosion, Cobra leadership begins congratulating each other, while Duke is terrified that they have aggravated the fault line. But why would Cobra want to start an underwater earthquake? We'll have to tune back in for Issue 41 to discover the next phase of their plan!

Issue 40 was filled with intrigue and bridges us from Issue 39 to 41. Cobra's plans in the Gulf of Mexico are coming to fruition and beginning to unfold.

Hope you enjoyed this review!

Tune in soon for Issue 41.

Now You Know - a little more about: ”HYDROFOIL” Feel free to let me know what you thought of this issue in the comments.

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